Even if you don’t need glasses, you still need an eye examination
Even if you don’t need glasses, you still need an eye examination
If you have been told by your optometrist that you have twenty-twenty vision, then you may think you need not go back to have an eye test for some time. We see many customers who have spent years away from our practices, only to eventually be told that they have issues with their eye health.
It is important to have regular eye examinations to check your standard of vision, particularly if you drive. However, the optometrist will also assess the internal and external health of your eyes to eliminate any potential problems. As well as conditions specific to the eye, such as dry eye, cataracts and glaucoma, the examination can pick up clues to the state of your general health: hypertension, raised cholesterol and diabetes for example.
As many eye health conditions are difficult to self-monitor, it is important to make regular eye examinations a priority, just as we go to the dentist regularly to get our teeth checked! Here’s what one of our customers who did not need glasses or contact lenses discovered at their routine eye test.
Bacteria on eyelashes
It is common to have a small amount of bacteria around the eyes, but the build-up of bacteria on the eyelashes and eyelids, known as blepharitis, can irritate the eyes and over time cause other issues like corneal problems and chalazion.
Our customer did not have any visual symptoms, but early tell-tale signs are a sticky substance around the lids and dry, watery eyes. It was suggested that spending long hours in front of a screen, wearing fake eyelashes and suffering from hay fever were all factors that could have contributed towards blepharitis.
Our customer was given the following advice to manage her blepharitis:
Take off all makeup at the end of the day, and use an eye makeup remover for sensitive skin. Using cooled boiled water and a clean cotton wool pad, lightly rub your lashes daily to remove any cloggy debris.
If your eyes continue to bother you, speak to your optometrist about what to use to clean your eyes, as they may suggest something you can get over the counter. You may also want to avoid using mascara and other eye makeup products whilst your eyes recover.
You will receive a retinal scan
As well as the traditional tests of following pencils with your eyes, and identifying letters on a chart, your examination may also include a retinal scan.
Our state-of-the-art Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) instruments scan the layers of the eye and take photos of the inside of your eye. This enables the optometrist to examine your retina, blood vessels and optic discs. It can also identify other health issues that may not have shown symptoms yet.
The retinal scan takes seconds and just involves you placing your chin and forehead on a supported part of the OCT machine to keep your head in place. Time well spent!
Central field of vision assessment
Also known as the visual field test or all-around vision test, the customer who did not require glasses, failed to notice some lights that were displayed in different positions when tested. Everyone has a natural blind spot in their eyes but other gaps in the visual field can be an indicator of eye health issues and, of course, a potential problem for drivers.
Sometimes, missing a few lights can just be a concentration issue, but if we repeat the test and there is a consistent failure, we may progress to run more tests on the eyes. The customer who failed on the first attempt went on to pass evidently.
If you would like to speak to one of our practices about an appointment, whether you have any concerns about your eye health or not, contact us now and we would be delighted to help.